Lately, I've been focusing a lot of this time at home from the new normal of social distancing during COVID-19 by working out. I started working out before COVID-19 swept the world at my local Planet Fitness but struggled to find an appropriate substitute for my usual treadmill and bicycle routines once the gyms shut down.
Thankfully, through my experience, I did the work and research for you all so now you can know what awesome ways you can get in shape during social distancing to not only keep up with your physical health but better your mental health as well. Working out from home has been my stress relief outlet during the ever changing landscape of the pandemic and getting into shape has fortunately allowed me to feel some sense of normalcy and takes up a lot of my time rather than just eating all of my pandemic snacks.
Here are 11 ways to get in shape this summer other than going for a run outdoors.
Tone It Up
Tone it up is the number one workout program on my list, not only because it is inexpensive and has a great community of women that inspire and uplift people, but the workouts are so fun... they even come with meal plans!
Beachbody
Beachbody has a lot of famous at-home workout trainers like Shaun T., and has different workouts such as high intensity intervals, weight lifting and dance routines.
Yoga with Adriene
I've really enjoyed getting into a daily yoga practice. It is good for total mind body connection and really practicing mindfulness. Plus, these videos are available for free on youtube.
The Fitness Marshall
These dance videos are also free and they are so fun! They are so great that I even used to do them in my dorm room back when I was at Virginia Tech for my undergraduate degree.
Blogilates
This is another popular free youtube workout channel for at-home workouts... plus, we love Asian representation.
Play Pokemon Go
You have to walk around to hatch pokemon eggs and to catch pokemon while also trying to find different pokemon stops and gyms, this is a fun and again free way to workout.
Swim
A lot of rivers and beaches are open right now, and getting to cool down in a nice body of water is a great cardio workout for this hot summer.
Ride your Bike
Also an alternative to running while still getting fresh air, this is often fun and can be free if you already have a bike on hand or maybe even borrow one from a friend.
Sex
No, I'm not joking. Sex can burn a significant amount of calories depending on the different types of sex positions you choose. Doggy style, for example, will burn 98 calories for the woman and 118 for the man or vice versa.
Wii Games
When I was younger, I used to work out at home by playing the classic wii games of Just Dance and Wii Fitness.
Play with your pet
Whether it's walking your dog or playing fetch with your dog, hanging out with your pets is a great way to experience stress relief as well as burn some calories.